ABOUT US

At A Tale of Two Chefs, our goal is to exceed our client's expectations and to remind them of the simple beauty in great tasting food. We provide Specialty Catering and Private Chef Services in Chicago or wherever our clients need us...

Chef Julius serves as owner of A Tale of Two Chefs, Executive Chef for KeHE Distributors, MSS Distribution and TV Host on the Big Ten Network. He is consulting chef and partner with Nature Isle Tropical Gourmet. In association with the Chilean Consulate & ProChile, he is the Culinary Ambassador to the country of Chile. Also, he serves as the Culinary Instructor the Common Ground Foundation. He is also a contributing writer to UPTOWN Magazine. He has been featured on prominent food and wine blogs including, Snooth, Eater-Chicago, Dr.Vino.com, and AliceFeiring.com.

Over the past decade Chef Julius has continued his culinary training stateside at the New Orleans School of Cooking and in Paris with Princess Marie Blanche de Broglie at La Cuisine Marie Blanche and Patrick Terrien at Le Cordon Bleu Academie d’Art Culinaire de Paris.

His ability to blend classic French technique with International flavorful influences, including Cajun/Creole, Caribbean, Latin American and Asian cuisines is unmatched. His mottos, “The Flavor Leads” and “The World Deserves To Taste Better”, speaks to his passion for blending global cuisines to create innovative dishes that transcend region. Not only is he recognized as a trusted culinary resource but his commitment to educating the American palette about how wine pairings are essential to complete the perfect dining experience. He has been retained as “guest-chef” for exclusive “Wine & Dine” events throughout Napa Valley, Sonoma Country and Chile. Chef Julius Russell believes that great food is only enhanced by great wine. He is also a lifelong student of incredible tasting experiences, always willing to learn more about the ever-changing world of food and wine. And Chef Julius never misses an opportunity to share the incredible products in which he has been exposed.

As a Private Chef and Caterer, Chef Julius accommodates the culinary needs of celebrities throughout the United States by providing in home dining and elaborate dinners for their families and large-scale events. His catering company, A Tale of Two Chefs provides specialty catering, brand promotion, product development, public food demonstrations and menu design for corporate clients such as Red Monkey Foods, MillerCoors, ConAgra Foods, Goodman Theater, N’Digo Magapaper, Jewel-Osco, WGN-TV, ABC Television, NBC5 Chicago, CEO’s of America, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Schnucks, HEB and Giant Eagle, Walmart, Benzinger Wineries, Casa Silva Winery, Vina La Chocalan and many more.

As the Executive Chef of KeHE Distributors, he oversees recipe design and the “Cuisine Based Selling” program where grocery chain execs are invited to experience KeHE products via multiple course meals showcasing recipes created by Chef Julius. KeHE is an employee-owned company, headquartered on a 1 million square foot campus in Romeoville, IL. They work with over 3500 manufacturers and distribute 60,000 products to 33,000 retailers. KeHE operates 12 warehouse facilities through which we support retailers across multiple channels in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, making them the leading specialty food distributor in the country.

Chef Julius’ major appearances include the Bloomingdale’s Home Store “Cooking with Heat” Series, The Taste of Chicago’s “Dominick’s Cooking Corner” and the new “Marianos Cooking Corner”, The Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest, All Clad’s “Roast Like a Pro”, Jazz at Jewel Summer Series, Food & Wine Show with The Food Network and the San Francisco Food & Wine Show.

His commitment to philanthropy is demonstrated through his work with the Common Ground Foundation, American Diabetes Association, Common Threads, Chicago Public Schools “Cooking Up Change” Healthy Schools Campaign, Darfur Darfur, Umoja Student Development Corporation, Bronzeville Lighthouse Youth Center and Kanye West Foundation.

Chef Stanley Hagerman’s white tablecloth restaurant experience brings a finishing touch to A Tale of Two Chefs. His management roles at the some of Chicago’s leading restaurants such as The Signature Room, The Pump Room, Ambria, La Petite Folie, and the Marion Street Cheese Market have rounded out his natural creative ability, allowing him to create out of the box dishes with flawless timing and execution. A graduate of The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, he values the continuous learning process that great Chef’s embrace and instills the quest for perfection in his support staff. As Chef de Cuisine, Chef Stan’s involvement and input with the menu and day-to-day operations is reflected in the product we produce.